Mayweather vs McGregor - The Death of Boxing?

Floyd Mayweather will make his highly anticipated return to the boxing ring against UFC champion Conor McGregor on August 26th in hopes to get his 50th straight victory. 

Boxing's best vs UFC's best.  It sounds like a match made in heaven, doesn't it?  The promotion will be huge, the venue will be sold out, the Las Vegas Strip will be buzzing; it sounds like a total win-win for boxing and for the UFC!  Well, I'm sorry to say, but no, this is not a good fight for boxing. To make my point, let's take a look back at one of the most historic fights in boxing history, a fight that took place a little over two years ago on May 2nd, 2015 - Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao - May 2nd, 2015

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was dubbed and promoted as "The Fight of the Century" and damn it if it didn't feel that way to sport fans around the world.  Individuals who have never watched boxing were eager to host or attend parties that were showing the fight.  People all around the world were expecting a backyard brawl, two men just punching the shit out of each other.  Those fans who have never followed boxing instead watched what they believe to be a man "running around the ring" and not engaging.  They believed Floyd was grabbing Pacquiao and then running the entire night.  Now, I would argue that what those viewers actually witnessed a phenomenal fight.  I personally had the fight even through 8 rounds, four rounds to Floyd and four rounds to Manny.  Those viewers were watching a defensive master in Floyd Mayweather piece apart an offensive juggernaut in Manny Pacquiao.

The fight was a chess match when the fans were expecting Dragon Ball Z levels of action, and as a result, boxing was written off.  The masses who were first introduced to boxing through this fight quickly turned their back on the sport, and I can't blame them.  To the first-time viewer, it was a boring fight, and unfortunately, history is going to repeat itself with Mayweather - McGregor.

This fight will bring in fans from around the world once again, to see if McGregor can solve the Mayweather puzzle. UFC fans will tell you that Conor is a fantastic stand up fighter and that he will beat Floyd.  And although Conor is one of the better stand up fighters relative to others in the UFC, that statement is simply not true.  Conor is a phenomenal talent and one scary warrior, but Floyd is entering the ring hoping to get his 50th career win without a single loss.  Boxers who have focused on the discipline of boxing their entire lives look completely outclassed when in the ring with Floyd; and unless Floyd has aged horribly since his last fight in 2015, I suspect that he will make Conor look foolish in the ring.  Floyd will use the same tactics that have worked for him time and time again , and will walk out of the ring looking relatively untouched and millions of dollars richer.

For as great as the promotion and build-up will be, the fight will be a let down, and the masses will say that boxing is boring, and that boxing is dead.  Part two coming soon.

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